The recent power failure in downtown Seattle was a good reminder about emergency preparedness.
Can you walk down 49 flights of stairs in the dark during a power outage?
When the electricity went off in downtown Seattle on Wednesday, May 25, some people did not have appropriate footwear for walking down flights of stairs when the elevators weren’t working. Some people struggled to get through darkened hallways, wishing they had a flashlight in their desk supplies.
So now is a good time to revisit your family emergency plan. In addition to restocking emergency supplies in your desk at work and reviewing how your family will communicate if phone lines are jammed, you should:
- Take extra precautions and obey road closure signs.
- Know alternate routes to and from your home.
- If you live or travel through a known flood plain, sign up for King County Flood Alerts.
- Keep an emergency kit in your desk at work and in your car (include written lists of contact phone numbers for family members and neighbors.) Here’s some lists of items to keep in your emergency kit.
- Review and refresh the emergency supplies in a home kit, including snack bars, water, and supplies for pets. Keep a written list of family medications and where the prescriptions are filled.
For more emergency planning tips and checklists at MakeItThrough.org.
